Economic Empowerment Can Fight Gender Discrimination in India

The Supreme Court has said that economic empowerment of women in India will help in the fight for gender equality.

Gender equality is a constitutional right, however, women tend to get the short end of the stick. (Photo: iStockphoto)

In India, women continue to face and fight various kinds of discrimination despite gender equality being their constitutional right. The Supreme Court has said that this discrimination can be removed only with economic empowerment, The Times of India reported. This statement comes amid the battle for government policies to give preferential treatment to women in public services.

Women, particularly in India, face various kinds of gender discrimination. It is notwithstanding the fact that under the Constitution, women enjoy a unique status of equality with men. In reality, however, they have to go a long way to achieve this. 

<b>Justices AK Sikri and Abhay Manohar Sapre</b>

This battle came to light after Richa Mishra, sub-inspector of Chattisgarh, filed a petition which was passed by the court, for not being appointed to the post of deputy superintendent of police despite clearing state civil services exams because she crossed the upper age limit of 24. She alleged that she had not been afforded the affirmative action due to her – a 10-year relaxation on the upper age limit for women in the state civil services.

The state government refused to give another look at the existing age-limit rule.